Kobe rules the universe, and LeBron may get All-Star help
Kobe Bryant, Dime #39
In the last seven years, has there been a post-championship NBA superstar who’s done the “Top of the world!!!” thing bigger than Kobe has done it over the last week? Think about it: Tim Duncan pretty much disappeared from public view immediately after the Spurs won in ’03, ’05 and ’07. None of the ’04 Pistons really blew up nationally after their title win. D-Wade‘s rise to superduperstardom was more of a gradual process after the Heat won in ’06. Even Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce spread their Big Swingin’ D moments out in their post-championship summer. Kobe? He’s been EVERYWHERE since the Lakers won. Last night he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel‘s show, where he was joined by Gasol, Fisher and Ariza. Then they brought out the understudies: DJ Mbenga, Josh Powell, Jordan Farmar and Adam Morrison, who all looked majorly uncomfortable … How insane is the Kobe hype right now? If the response to this contest wasn’t enough of an indicator, maybe the mere fact that this monstrosity even exists will convince you … After the “Why does Kobe make That Face?” the biggest question right now is how will L.A. pull off a repeat. While Ariza and Lamar Odom‘s free-agent situations are TBD, Kobe has said he’s “not going anywhere,” and Phil Jackson said he’ll decide his future sometime this offseason. Question: Even if L.A. brought back their entire ’09 core group, not to mention added whoever they get with the 29th pick in the first round, could they win another ‘chip without Phil? … There’s been so much talk about the Cavs getting Shaq, but what about LeBron teaming up with Yao Ming? Cleveland’s new Chinese ownership contingent is supposedly dead-set on finding out a way to get Yao on their squad, rumors Yao addressed in a Shanghai TV interview: “Regardless of whether it’s a Chinese boss, or a foreign boss, they’re both bosses and a boss is just a boss,” said Yao, who made it clear he likes it in Houston … Another Cavs rumor that’s picking up steam? Vince Carter to Cleveland for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic. That definitely solves the “Everybody standing around looking at LeBron” problem on offense, and Vince could add a couple more years to his career without the rigors of being the #1 guy. If the Nets are game, the Cavs should go for this … When was the last time the Wolves were in the news so much in the same week and it had nothing to do with KG? First it was the Kevin Love Twitter-leak of the Kevin McHale firing, then the actual McHale firing, then the new coaching search, and then the Al Jefferson-for-Amar’e Stoudemire trade rumor. Yesterday it was reported that Mark Jackson was Minnesota’s leading candidate, a claim the team shot down via Twitter … Ricky Rubio got sick and wasn’t able to actually work out for the Kings, but they’re still expected to snatch Rubio up if he falls to them with the 4th pick. In our latest NBA Mock Draft, we’ve got Rubio going to Sacramento, and after that there’s a lot of movement since the last mock. Jrue Holiday has jumped up into the Top-5, Brandon Jennings almost slips out of the Lottery, and the Kings land one of the biggest sleepers in the Draft with the 23rd pick … And how is our Dime draft diarist Jonny Flynn doing? Still looking like a solid Top-10 pick, Flynn was in Minnesota for a workout yesterday, and some of the Dime crew was there. Tyreke Evans was also in the gym (“He looks huge,” one of our guys said), along with Jennings (“solid”), Holiday (“looks like he needs to develop skill”), Ty Lawson (“pretty solid”) and Jeff Teague (“looks like he doesn’t care”) … Actual line from one of the announcers at the college baseball World Series: “Don’t let his size fool you. There’s a lot of juice in those 170 pounds.” Given the sport in question and the climate of the sport in question, that’s one of the most accidentally hilarious lines of the year … And speaking of hilarity, here’s your daily dose of Ron Artest. In a radio interview, Ron-Ron was asked if he ever plays golf. “I played golf a long time ago with my friends,” he said. “It was like some ghetto golf place. Everyone was smoking weed on the golf course. It was real funny. They were just hitting golf balls and smoking marijuana, I couldn’t believe it. I was like, ‘Hold on, this doesn’t seem right. I’m used to golf like MJ and professional guys. These guys are just out there rolling up blunts.’ I had to leave.” … We’re out like ghetto golf …
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June 20th, 2009 at 3:37 am
YW says:
1st. yao should get some of that ghetto golf and move to the cavs while he’s at it, haha
June 20th, 2009 at 3:45 am
dh says:
The fact that Adam Morrison has a ring with the Lakers is just ackward because he knows he didn’t contribute at all. I wonder if they will design his ring with a suit instead of his number?
June 20th, 2009 at 4:22 am
Josh Tha roc says:
ron for president
June 20th, 2009 at 4:24 am
Money Mike says:
Smokin’ weed and shanking tee shots, hell yeah!
June 20th, 2009 at 5:17 am
POPPI GEE says:
Classic Ron! Have to think that most things Ron has done were ghetto-fied if their be such a thing.
Lol if LeBron knows like I know he wants to stay away from Yao. He (Yao) will leave you hanging in the playoffs, don’t even frustrate yaself like that LeBron.
Wouldn’t a Yao puppet been hilarious in those commercials?
All these rumors, someone needs to go ahead and pull the trigger already.
All Star game should really be after playoffs.
June 20th, 2009 at 6:36 am
sans says:
I only go golfing for the beers and blunts. Love the Ghetto golf. Gotta break out a real cigar though, just to keep it chill.
I’m all for any movement by the Cavaliers, even if it cuts into Delonte’s time–for real, other than Lebron, Delonte is the only real man on that team, always plays hard and is never shook. Unlike Mo, unlike everyone one else in wine and gold.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:17 am
herrschel says:
what about that sheed to the cavs rumors?!
June 20th, 2009 at 7:25 am
AB_40 says:
haha delonte west untouchable:S the guy is a 6-3 shooting guard. if the cavs can add shaq AND carter you know they need guys who know how to score in pressured situations and not choke out like this wanabe all star willams kid.
Kobe get’s love because well everybody was waiting for this to happen. Like it was supposed to happen someday or his legacy would be a fake
June 20th, 2009 at 8:38 am
S-SiN says:
Ghetto golf!?! classic… he said they just kept rolling up so i had to leave! wwwaaahhahaaha… just that line there alone got me smokin, i’m sorry…
while we’re on the topic of the Cavs supporting cast, no Vince won’t choke like them dudes in LeBrons pre-game “picture”, yet somehow i think getting Shaq Daddy should be made a priority this summer. and teach Mike Brown to sit with his mouth shut when he doesn’t speak, cuz he looks like a retard all day. literally, saw his bottom lip up i dunno… then he shows up to a post season press conference in some gym shorts and sits in a chair next to Danny Ferry like he’s on the beach sliding of it.. nuts falling out and all… talk about classy
then there’s Mo. u don’t get mo in the play-offs outta Mo, we know that, he’s mo like less, but the thing that pisses me off about him is that he wants us to think he’s this tough solid classy killer gangster. dreamin about being called Gotti, Godfather theme playin in the arena after free throw makes… get the fuck outta here, it’s not about u.. choke prone stupid ass co-tail thug wannabe. he wouldn’t last 10 minutes at the GHETTO GOLF
LeBron’s homeboy Pavlovic had mo influence on that series than mo did (and it’s only right Bron and Kob each get a Sasha, puppets people should play with this a lil bit)
so that’s why what the Lakers and Cavs do this off season is arguably even more fun for me than watching actual ball.
June 20th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Sly says:
Wrong about the Celtics…
They spent their entire summer that they were proclaiming their the best team EVER. They were like ‘We’re better than all of Jordan’s, Bird’s and Magic’s teams COMBINED. We’re that fucking good’. Come on now, all of those asses became so arrogant after winning the chip, they fucking made their own hype of how good they are. Fucking irritating.
VC to Cleveland? I don’t see how that will work out. VC to the Nets was the best scenario for VC because there was an All-NBA point guard who can locate him and set him up. That didn’t work. How much more for Cleveland. VC playing in a squad where there’s a player who constantly needs the ball in his hand? Isn’t that what exactly soft ass Carter is? Won’t work.
June 20th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Nadim says:
I watched the Jimmy Kimmel show last night. Does it bother anyone else that people are acting as if Derek Fisher is the second best player on that team? It seems like people just forget that Pau Gasol was hitting 6/10 shots the past two series.
Ron Artest is a funny-ass dude.
June 20th, 2009 at 9:36 am
smoove chips says:
adam morrison should be an anti drug commercial.
Didn’t say shyt.Mbenga said more than him and that’s a lot given his problems putting words together.that’s awful to watch.
Can you imagine if he starts putting up monster munbers and doris burke had to interview him?HA..that’s right you thought it couldn’t get worse than derrick rose huh?
June 20th, 2009 at 9:41 am
jayslay says:
ron is perhaps the nba version of chad johnson and t.o. combined…dude is hilarious….i bet he didnt leave though…i mean if my friends were smokin and drinkin while playing golf i cant imagine how much fun that would be so i woulda stayed
as far as kobe,im glad he gettin some pub…i mean so many ppl been sayin lebron is the best player in the world and acted like kobe was chop liver…but now he wins a championship and all of a sudden he back in the news….good 4 him
June 20th, 2009 at 9:51 am
ponky_alolor says:
still dont think vince is the best case 4 cavs. they really need an upgrade down low. vince would help 4 sure but bron needs frontline offense and D.
and i know Mo f*cked up during his first playoffs but i hope he steps up next time with no more stupid guarantees.
June 20th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Ansonious says:
Vince would bring a lot to the table for the Cavs offensivly yet something still tells me Ben Wallace’s contract could be used for a better trade than Vince. Isn’t Rasheed Wallace’s contract up with the Pistons, I’d personally wouldn’t mind seeing him in a Cav’s uniform just for the simple fact for when Lebron is driving into the paint leaving Rashheed wide open(or being guarded by a guard or small foward,) for the spot up shot or the three which in return would eventually bring bigger defenders out of the paint for Lebron to do what he does best, and of coarse setting up a never ending nightmare for defenses. You’ve gotta wonder what’s going to happen leading up to the draft I hope the Suns don’t trade their pick away(Rajon Rondo, Rudy Fernandez,etc..)
June 20th, 2009 at 10:23 am
MoxWestCoastRep says:
Let me guess, Minny is going to announce their draft pick via- TWITTER!
June 20th, 2009 at 10:39 am
dk says:
” D-Wade’s rise to superduperstardom was more of a gradual process after the Heat won in ‘06 ”
lmao, ok, whatever you say….
I think wade blew up faster than Kobe and was a shocker out of left field being behind King loser… Im trying to think who had as much poise as this kid right out of school and a ring, and the respect to back it. Magic I guess is the only person I can think of.
@ 2 Im sure Adam is really concerned about your thoughts with his millions of dollars and advanced basketball game. He is in the NBA. Id be worried about why my father regrets his contributions to your life.
June 20th, 2009 at 10:43 am
dk says:
@DIME
Oh yeah, the rookie D Wade hit the playoff game winner toi lead the Heat into the second round, year one. Thats gradual. Idiot should have won it all. Plus the billboards around town after that, year one, didnt mean much either or the jersey sales or the fact the greatest big man to ever walk the planet wanted to come grab another ring with the cat. I guess if your gonna gradually become a superstar any faster you will have to get on your knees for Stern and make out with Dick Bavetta.
June 20th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Shrink This says:
Gee: A Yao puppet would be funny but wouldn’t Houston love it if they could permanently get him up on strings? It might keep him from sustaining a new foot/ankle injury every 3 or 4 months…
And I’d love to see more Ron-Ron content from Dime. Any possibility we could get some more interviews?
Maybe you could get the real scoop about what happened on that golf course, not the on the record AP stuff.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:09 am
LAballer says:
LOL @ Gee..yao puppet..hahahah “donn be like-a babay”..hearing him speak is hilarious enough..a yao puppet would be outta this world!
dime..is it possible to have ron contribute to your site this off season? like a summer blog of sorts or something..every week..like a “ron’s thoughts” column..guarantee it would be one of the most read blogs ever..you just want the guy to keep talking..he rivals shaq right now as the funniest person in the NBA..thing is..i dont even think he is trying to be funny..he’s just ron artest..love it
pau needs more publicity or credit..this man is beyond solid..does damn near everything right on the court..says everything right…i mean..he was made for the triangle or damn near any other offense..
if shaq goes to the cavs are they the automatic fav out of the east? wouldnt that be nuts..lebron and shaq against the lakers..stern’s wet dream..the most popular guys in the sport in one arena for at least 4 games..wow..
another thought..how crazy is this..shaq played with penny in his prime..kobe in his prime..wade in damn near his prime but i see him getting better and then lebron in pretty much his prime? thats pretty crazy to me..
ey dime..hope you read my post about the tshirt giveaway..think it would be a great thing to do..
June 20th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Bill Bixby says:
@ 16
Nawwwwwww!!! Ya don’t say. dk is hating again???!!!
I swear man, you’re on like a 24/7 period.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Celts Fan says:
@LABaller – the really crazy thing is that Bron’s prob a few years away from his absolute peak. Glad we copped our chip while we cpuld…
Used to play me some “ghetto golf” at some par 3 9 hole in North Philly. Best shit ever. Aint no way Ron left unless it was to go get more booze and tree
June 20th, 2009 at 11:49 am
KWAME says:
dwyane wade went from kid to superstar cause of them finals…GRADUAL…wow what were you watching…and the cities of boston and san antonio are a lot different from LA…i mean it’s HOLLYWOOD of course your =e gonna see him everywhere
June 20th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
QQ says:
Gotta agree with them cats…
Wade’s journey to superstardom is anything BUT gradual. It’s about one thing: The 06 Finals. Period.
June 20th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
rlf says:
I’ll explain to you why Kobe is ‘so big’ again.
See, sponsors loved Kobe. They loved that he had a worldwide appeal. he was well spoken, very good looking, an intelligent person. Not your typical basketball athlete. But then Colorado happened. they had to turn their backs on their money maker.
They wanted to put him back on top, not for Kobe, but for them and their businesses. And now they have their guy back. they got what they were looking for, Kobe has won another championship. Kobe’s the IT guy again.
Like Kobe has said, some companies want him back. companies that were with him before the ‘incident’ but he won’t take them back.
He has the power again. now, we’ll see how this new power will make him be.
June 20th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
doc says:
My money on Kobe taking them back who the fuck he fooling.Aint nothing specail he getting what he supposed to get after a chip.The late show circuit and a bunch of shit in LA.They aint talking about his ass in Philly.Except for our million Laker fans we got.
June 20th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
kevin k says:
H 2 H MATCHUP
>
YAO OWNS DWIGHT
>
June 20th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
ShowKase says:
Why are people hyping up all these Cavs trade rumors? Maybe it’s just me, but why would you want to be the GM that gave Cleveland the final piece to a (so-called) championship? The Grizzlies GM didnt get a championship ring from the Lakers this year.(that we know of…) Just dont see the Cavs having that many desirable pieces to trade for, except for that guy from Akron.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Ender says:
“Actual line from one of the announcers at the college baseball World Series: “Don’t let his size fool you. There’s a lot of juice in those 170 pounds.” Given the sport in question and the climate of the sport in question, that’s one of the most accidentally hilarious lines of the year”
What would make the NBA any cleaner than baseball? There are all kinds of doping that are not even touched by the NBA.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
S-SiN says:
What if the Cavs could get Boozer back?
June 20th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
ponky_alolor says:
@28, cavs have expiring contracts. Usualy that gets u a chip if used right. See gasol trade with kwame expiring deal.
@29, yeah boozer would fit at 4 spot but i just dont know how ironic or funny it would be 4 him to get back 2 cavs. Still think booz likes miami more since thats where he lives.
June 20th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
ponky_alolor says:
just remembered who kobe was playing with b4 gasol-
Smush, kwame, vlad rad, mihm, brian cook. And this is why u send expiring deals away.
June 20th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
JuiceMode says:
Sign me up for ghetto golf…
June 20th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
that's whats up says:
Ron Ron shot a 420 that day
June 20th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Buffalo Brave says:
ROFLMFAO @ GHETTO GOLF!!!
June 20th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Danny says:
at #30 ponky, doesn’t matter if its expiring A LOT of teams have expiring contracts. Question is why in the world would steve kerr trade shaq (18 and
just for expiring contracts when this was his big move. You don’t know anything, anybody could come up with a random trade.
Memphis got marc gasol, a promising rookie and other expiring, trade pick. Shaq for BEN WALLACE (who said he wants to retire) and sasha pavolic (who wouldn’t play well for suns) would be nothing, so shut the **** up.
June 20th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
ponky_alolor says:
@35 well shut the f*ck up too danny. im a cavs fan and im just expressing my opinion at the trade talk out there – hype or not. we
are discussing speculating trade talk coz yeah there’s still nuthin going on.
hell we want help 4 LBJ thats why we feel that ANY front office help is good to think about and discuss.
and yeah go home and f*ck urself, just in case u missed it.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
jay says:
kobe is back on top..he will have some vitamin water commercials next year ..book it…he will get mcdonalds back and some other stuff. it is kobe’s world and we all are just living in it! yeah that includes king james and haters like skip bayless better get used to it!
June 21st, 2009 at 12:36 am
that's whats up says:
no one cares about skip bayless’ queen ass
get over it gay jay
June 21st, 2009 at 12:39 am
45% says:
ron artest needs a twitter.
June 21st, 2009 at 2:13 am
dk says:
@37 – Damn Ponkey, you need to easy up on my homie danny. You coming at the guy kinda hard. I think you need to shut the FUCK up. Talking all that shit. Bitch ass ho. Trick ass bitch. Slut ass ho. ho ass bitch.
“You know me i smoke a blunt when im gettin’ brain, stick my fanga in her BUTT while i’m getting brain.”
-wayne
Cavs for life NIGGA!
June 21st, 2009 at 2:23 am
dk says:
@Ponkey – Ponkey PLEEAZEE!!I wish you’d bring yo ass to stuart, fl. BOY I WOULD FUCK YO BITCH ASS UP! NiKKA im a killa. and im a pussygettin KING.
Gettin brain inda whip das what I be on! Brain all day! Brain all NITE! BRAIN ALL DAY, BRAin all Nite! Merc dat coochie, spread dat TWAT, BLAMM dat cutta, GET dat NUT! Get’cho $$$$!
Back to my point, Youz a BITCH!
June 21st, 2009 at 2:29 am
ponky_alolor says:
@dk: Dude wtf? fuck you. why you throwing hate my way? i’m read some of your previous posts before, and you’re trash. you should be in the garbage. not even recycleable. Your basketball IQ is pretty low and on top of that you talk like a retard. seriously man, fuck off.
June 21st, 2009 at 2:35 am
ponky_alolor says:
@41 wow, your message was incredibly retarded. like i said, there no room for black trash like you. like i said, you belong in the garbage.
June 21st, 2009 at 2:43 am
Bill Bixby says:
You ain’t nothin but trash, dk. Go take your e-gangsta show to the street corner.
June 21st, 2009 at 4:10 am
ponky_alolor says:
LOL at this loser DK. like i said, you’re trash. they should put you in a space shuttle with other classless people like you and a bunch of feces and garbage and send it on a collision course with the sun.
June 21st, 2009 at 4:16 am
ponky_alolor says:
@dk: Dude wtf? fuck you. why you throwing hate my way? i’m read some of your previous posts before, and you’re trash. you should be in the garbage. not even recycleable. Your basketball IQ is pretty low and on top of that you talk like a retard. seriously man, fuck off.
June 21st, 2009 at 4:19 am
ponky_alolor says:
@dk: theres no room for black trash like you. they should put you and other trashy classless people in a spaceshuttle along with a bunch of trash and feces, and send it on a collision course with the sun.
Faggot Cocksucker.
June 21st, 2009 at 4:36 am
dk says:
BILL BIXBY AKA PUSSY ASS BITCH!
Faggot I bets you gets no brain. DK get BRAIN, he gets his BRAIN all NITE.
Stupid mothafucka don’t know nothin bout basketball, but at dimemag.com talkin shit. leave this board. No one likes you here. Loser.
June 21st, 2009 at 11:46 am
Bill Bixby says:
@ 49
Wowza, now that’s creativity right there. I thought you’d come harder than that. Oh well, maybe you should lay off all that BRAIN “you be getting”…and go for some actual brains. Dumb ass.
June 21st, 2009 at 7:15 pm
dagwaller says:
Why would the Nets do a deal FOR Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic?!
June 24th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
LaBob says:
D.Wade blew up because of Bennett Salvatore. Drive the paint, fall, throw ball up, shoot free throws.
Please.